Depending on the size of your ship you will be docked close to town or further away: see map Most likely you will be docked at Stormont Wharf, which is over 1km long.

Most of the time there are free shuttles that run between the harbor and the city center every 15 minutes.

Printable map to take along.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video.

The center of Belfast is small enough to be explored by foot.

To make the most of your time in the city your first point of contact should be the centrally located Belfast Welcome center (Tourist Office) at 47 Donegal Place, just north of City Hall. The first floor center is accessible by elevator and escalator just to the left of the Boots Pharmacy. The staff can provide maps, book accommodation and tours, recommend itineraries and places of interest and sell you overpriced and tacky souvenirs. There is also a useful left luggage facility. See gotobelfast.com for more information.

All major bus routes start or pass through Donegal Square, and a Metro information kiosk is located on the north-western side of the square. Tourist passes are available from here, or for the more frequent traveler, you can purchase and pre-load a Smartlink card with credit for bus trips.

If your time is limited, the open-top 'Belfast Sightseeing' bus tours are recommended, costing about £10 per person for a 2 hour journey. You will be shown the sights in the city center and suburbs including famous murals painted on the ends of terraced houses during 'The Troubles' in the Falls Road area, the Harland and Wolff shipyards where the Titanic was built and Queens University. The guides are friendly, well informed and interesting, although many locals still remark that is unusual to see bright red open top tour buses passing through once troubled neighborhoods.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.

The top visitor attraction in Northern Ireland is the Giants Causeway. Considered by many to be the eight wonder of the world, the Giants Causeway is well worth the effort to get to it.

St. George's Market, on May Street, is situated near Belfast Central Station, It is Northern Ireland's largest indoor market and one of Belfast's major attractions for visitors and locals alike. Farmers markets are held on Saturdays, and variety markets are held on Tuesdays and Fridays. Opening hours are 6am-2pm. It sells a fascinating range of foods, clothing and crafts. You can pick up some real bargains here, and the market itself provides a fascinating glimpse into Belfast life both past and present.

UK Pound Stirling.

Currency Converter

English is spoken everywhere but Irish (Gaeilge) is also used.

Internet Cafe at the Belfast Welcome center, 47 Donegall Place

City center Shops generally open Mon- Sat, 9.30am-5.30pm (Thurs. until 9pm).Some larger stores open Sun 1-5pm. Neighborhood stores and garage forecourt convenience shops often open much longer - 24 hours in many cases.

January 1 - New Year's Day March 17 - St. Patrick's Day Good Friday (Not a statutory holiday) Easter Monday May 1 - May Day First Monday in June - Bank Holiday First Monday in August - Bank Holiday Last Monday in October - Bank Holiday December 25 - Christmas Day December 26 - St. Stephen's Day

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